Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, the country that records the largest number of readers of this blog, vying closely with readers based in the Philippines. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and I love the idea of celebrating a bountiful harvest, to have a big gathering of family and friends, to eat like there is no tomorrow, and to reflect on all of the good things that have come our way in the past year. Today I went to the Tenement School in Taguig, a small public school facility that has roughly 7.800 students in THREE shifts. Average class sizes are some 60-70 students in roughly 40 square meter classrooms. This is where marketmanila has been sponsoring one of its feeding programs. I got to chat with the lady running the program and observed today’s feeding… It seems they are covering the vegetable malunggay or moringa in class and the meal today incorporated this incredibly nutritious vegetable, with tinapa, rice, a ripe banana and some juice. The kids in this batch are in the 4-6th grades, the second “seating” was grades 1-3. If you think your lives are too complex, too stressful, too harried… just take a deep breath and watch a room full of undernourished kids GRATEFULLY wolf down their plates of food…
This is where your generous donations to the feeding program will go. And this seemed like a good place to put an update of incoming transfers/remittances/xoom transactions so you can see what is coming in… If you wish to donate some funds to this program, please check remittance details here. Or pick up an ornament on these dates.
Deposits of PHP180,000+ to the account of Belen Desquitado/feeding program (odd numbers often due to currency exchange):
November 21, 2008
PHP1,001.10
PHP1,221.12
PHP1,222.36
November 24, 2008
PHP14,561.90
PHP19,415.86
PHP2,426.98
PHP2,419.00
PHP3,000.00
PHP1,462.14
PHP4,873.80
November 25, 2008
PHP5,000.00
PHP1,000.00
PHP5,000.00
PHP2,000.00
November 26, 2008
PHP1,209.88
November 27, 2008
PHP14,984.71
PHP1,201.46
November 28, 2008
PHP1,000.00
December 2, 2008
PHP2,000.00
PHP10,000.00
PHP6,000.00
December 3, 2008
PHP1,003.00
PHP2,400.82
December 4, 2008
PHP4,012.59
December 5, 2008
PHP1,000.00
December 8, 2008
PHP1,471.00
PHP1,000.00
PHP2,008.06
PHP1,210.00
December 10, 2008
PHP25,000.00 (Wow! :)
PHP1,134.06
December 11, 2008
PHP1,000.00
December 12, 2008
PHP1,000.00
December 15, 2008
PHP1,000.00
PHP2,339.26
PHP1,007.00
PHP3,013.00
December 16, 2008
PHP3,000.00
PHP2,500.00
December 17, 2008
PHP3,005.18
PHP2,000.00
PHP20,000.00
PHP5,000.00
PHP2,121.00
PHP2,000.00
December 22, 2008
PHP1,143.79
January 9, 2009
PHP1,199.90
January 12, 2009
PHP2,988.44
January 14, 2009
PHP5,000.00
February 9, 2009
PHP1,713.67
PHP11,944.90
Again, many thanks to all of the generous folks who have supported this effort so far… For others based abroad, it sounds like XOOM is a very easy and reliable option for remitting funds. And there is still a month until Christmas… Am I beginning to sound like a late-night television infomercial yet? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday if you are celebrating it!!!
14 Responses
What an appropriate post, to remind us all to be thankful for what we HAVE (a home, income, friends and family, health, etc.) instead of complaining about what we DON’T HAVE. I was lucky to be born a “have” instead of a “have-not”, so it is only fair that I share. I wish I were filthy rich so I could give a ton more.
I`ll have my donation deposited in Banco de Oro in Cebu,I want two of those christmas ornaments white and red.MY pamangkin who is based there will pick up those ornaments and deposit the money.she`s one of your bloggers so she knows what to do.By the way what`s in the thanksgiving dinner menu?Ours is roasted chicken(turkey is too big for us),seafood pasta and bukopie ala marketman,my son calls it coconutpie.HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
MM, will the Principal of Tenement school also set up an account with BDO or PNB just like what was done by Ms. Desquitado? If you could let me know so I can send some to this school as well. Thanks.
MM, how do you feel about working even more closely with these kids? a group called Rock Ed is all about promoting education, but not just in the strict classroom sense of the word. visit https://www.rockedphilippines.org for more info.
ps. i’m not actually involved with the group, yet. but i thought you (or your readers) might be interested to help here too. :)
Hello,
I’ve been following your blog on and off for quite some time (as well as other blogs) and this is one of the very few times I actually wrote a comment. Well, this being the second is quite few…right?
I want to thank you for such an awakening!
“If you think your lives are too complex, too stressful, too harried… just take a deep breath and watch a room full of undernourished kids GRATEFULLY wolf down their plates of food…”
It’s 1:30am right now and your words above depicted where I am right now and my thoughts at this very moment.
I would like to help. I know that money would probably be best but I would also like to volunteer my time.
You have my email, please do contact me.
Thank you!
June, in the case of the two schools marketmanila and its readers are helping, the feeding programs are quite organized, run by either school teachers/nutritionists or volunteer PTA parents. The feedings are held 3x a week and in total they provide some 500-600 simple but nutritious meals per week. Marketmanila enables the funding that allows it to happen. We visit the schools fairly often, but mostly to observe that the programs are being implemented as planned. There is room for readers to go visit, but to do realistic actual work, it would have to be scheduled in in a manner that would work for the schools. Alternatively, this should help to awaken others such as yourself who want to help. Contact your closest public school and see what you and friends or office mates can do for them. It need not be something so sustainable as 20,000 meals over a year. Sometimes its about gathering sports equipment so that the entire school can play team sports such as volleyball, basketball, etc. I have come across several public schools that don’t have any sports equipment at all. Yet other public schools would love it if donors gave them a computer or two and someone to help teach kids how to use them. Yet others would love a television (just PHP7,000 these days) and a cable hookup so the kids can watch something as seemingly mundane as the National Georgraphic channel or animal planet. If only we all thought in terms of modest forms of assistance that could benefits hundreds. It’s hard to run out of ideas in a system that is so under-supported. Can you tell I am a bit rabid about this? den, thanks for that link. I am involved with schools on several fronts, so while busy myself, I am sure several other reaers might think this is something for them… ted, the Manila school does have an account but it isn’t a joint one, so I don’t want to give the number for fear that I cannot oversee the disbursements. So what I am doing is trying to balance funds by evening out resources from ornaments donations and other large local gifts for the Manila program with the other program in Cebu. In the end, it will be balanced and any gifts to the Cebu program should be viewed to be helping both schools… thanks! Det, if your nephew/neice is picking up ornaments, just have them bring cash to SUKI, do not deposit and pick up ornaments, it is hard to keep track of the different variations of payment…many thanks for your understanding on this. myra p, whenever I have a really bad week or month and frustration hits peak levels, I go to visit the feeding program(s). It really resets my brain in a good way. Now if only our politicians understood why that works…
i think these r the simple things in life that one would need to appreciate and enjoy..seeing kids grow up and wolfing down food with a future
Hey, I’m so thrilled that funds are trickling in! So true that voluntary work, including working with children, can actually energise us. I’ll try to bring something to the pick up point on Dec 13th.
Hi MM,
I havent forgotten my pledge. Am just waiting for the funds to hit my paypal acct before i xoom it over.
Happy Thanksgiving!
will send my small donation as soon as i get my paycheck. hopefully by monday. Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!
my friend when I did grad studies in holland asked me about your feeding program. this year at least I can provide her with info. for bank transfer. last year we did it though my father there (and I still have to pick up my bag from my father when i come home).
keep up the good work and thank you for organising this.
So true, sometimes we just need to be shaken a bit to re-set our perspective and appreciate what we have. I just had tinapa for breakfast as well. =)
MM, I have arranged with my brother in MNL to deposit a small donation…..people shd be able to deposit/donate anytime of the year and not just before Christmas, right? I am thinking of tapping some people I know but it would take some time.
MM, where do i go to find out if the remittance i made was credited correctly. i made one last feb 8, 2009 for the account at bdo gorordo branch. i remitted it here from SM Guam.